A British expat has been forced to hastily backtrack live on air after his hardline views on immigration in Australia were torn apart by a popular radio host.
The showdown occurred when Roger, an expat to Australia, called in to the radio program Leading Britain’s Conversation to share his thoughts on the divisive topic.
He told host Lewis Goodall the difference between immigration in Australia and the UK is ‘we don’t let them in over here’.
‘We stopped the boats’, he added.
‘Well, they let you in, Roger,’ Mr Goodall quickly replied.
The caller paused for a moment before suggesting his entry into Australia was ‘different’ because ‘we built this country’.
When asked why he should receive different treatment, Roger backtracked, telling the host: ‘You’re not wrong, I’ll take it back but you know what I mean don’t you?’
Mr Goodall replied: ‘I don’t know if I do to be honest Roger. No’.
LBC radio host Lewis Goodall (pictured) told a British expat living in Australia he was an immigrant too after he proudly told the program ‘we stopped the boats’
Protesters are seen marching against mass immigration in Sydney’s CBD during an ‘Australia Unites’ rally last month. It came weeks after the nationwide ‘March for Australia’ rallies
Viewers were divided over the exchange, with some accusing Roger of being ‘racist’ while others claimed Mr Goodall had misinterpreted his argument.
‘So if you’re ‘white’ and you immigrate, then that’s not immigration?’ one said.
But another disagreed, saying: ‘Lewis Goodall obviously doesn’t understand the difference between an immigrant with official papers and an illegal, without’.
Migration is a political flashpoint in both Australia and the UK and has become a key sticking point for opposition to both Labor governments.
The political jostling over immigration in the UK has focused on the thousands of asylum seekers landing on British shores each year, whereas in Australia, the debate has largely centred on the country’s legal migration levels.
The segment aired within days of an anti-immigration protest in central London, which attracted an estimated 150,000 and made headlines around the world.
That protest came just weeks after Australia was rocked by a nationwide wave of its own anti-immigration protests in late August – the March for Australia rallies.
Protesters turned out to oppose the country’s historic migrant intake in recent years, linking the trend to the rising cost-of-living and broader cultural issues.
Nigel Farage (pictured) leads the UK’s anti-immigration Reform Party. Recent opinion polls suggest the party could form government if an election were held today
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared alongside his UK counterpart Keir Starmer at a summit in London on Saturday discussing the influence of populist opposition forces such as the UK’s anti-immigration Reform Party.
Recent opinion polls suggest the party, led by former Brexit leader Nigel Farage, could form government with a commanding lead if an election were held today.
Albanese also attended UK Labour’s annual conference where he delivered a speech and attended a number of private meetings.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke out against his participation at the event, claiming he overstepped in throwing his weight behind Starmer’s party.
‘He didn’t just cross a line, he flew to the other side of the world to give a partisan political speech on behalf of a political party in another country,’ she said.
‘That is totally unacceptable. We have no problem with the prime minister meeting the King, the prime minister of the UK and other UK leaders.
‘But giving a speech backing in a political party in another country – that really does cross the line.’
